Duna Asya (Saka Horse-Archers)
|-|EB1= |-|EB2= EB1:Against Roman and Greek heavy infantry, these horsemen have little trouble in staying out of range while wearing down the enemy. EB2:These horsemen have little trouble in staying out of range while wearing down the enemy. Description These are tough Saka from the north-eastern frontiers of the Parthian Empire and the lands beyond. Living a tough life, they learn to ride as soon as they can walk, and they are masterful horsemen. The Saka nomad's primary weapon is the composite bow, the new asymmetrical so called 'Hunnish' bow rather than the Scythian composite bow. The steppe pony they ride is a hardy beast, though small and shaggy. Considered unattractive by more settled folk, it is well able to survive in the harsh steppe climate and can thrive on grass alone, not requiring the daily grain feed of more finely bred mounts. This allows their nomadic riders to range far and wide, not hampered as more traditional cavalry would be. Historically, Saka cavalry fought both within and against Parthian armies. Shooting accurately with a bow while on horse-back took long training and, thus, many “Parthian” mounted bowmen were levied from the vassal tribes on the Empire’s border marches, who were renowned for their horsemanship and fighting skill. Most Saka horsemen in Parthian service were part of contingents supplied by tribal allies/subjects, but some might have been mercenaries. Occasionally, they appear to have formed their own units and fought under their own chieftains. In any case, they have their own sense of loyalty and cannot be relied on to fill important roles. They could be used, though, to bulk up the line of horse archers in a Parthian, providing the Parthian Kings with another vital source of light cavalry. When fighting for themselves, the Saka proved a force to be reckoned with. Hostile Saka managed to slay two Parthian kings in battle and when the Parthians finally drove them out, they coalesced with related groups of nomads from further east to overran Northern India, forming the Indo-Saka kingdoms there. ---- Men of the vast and endless steppes, these warriors ride their horses into battle with such skill, that one could believe they were one and the same creature. Indeed, some argue that is the origin of the mythical centaur. Be that as it may, the peoples of the Saka were truly born into the saddle, and learn to ride from an early age. They are no professional warriors, but simple herdsmen and hunters, and the weapons they use for war are their tools of trade in peace. Thus, with little personal interest in the politics behind warfare, and far more loyalty to their family and clan than to any high chief or king, these men are in it for the gold, and for the gold alone. Should you offer them loot, they will quickly gather to your army, but only for as long as you can supply it. Only the greatest among generals would be able to field vast hordes for any longer time. Instead, these warriors are generally gathered by a chief or king for a single campaign, and then disband again once the campaign is over. These warriors ride steppe horses of the sturdy kind that are used both for war and transport throughout the steppes. They dress in their every day clothing, which consists of a traditional nomad jacket, or Kurta, with a v-shaped cut. The Kurtas are made of felt, cloth or leather, depending on the time of year, and the wealth of the wearer. Atop their pants, most wear the distinctive Saka leather riding boots. These boots are made of soft leather, with a hardened heel, and covers the leg up to the thigh. The boots make it easy to sit on a horse, and prevents chafing on the riders thighs and legs during long or rough rides. There are numerous hat designs known among the Saka, and a selection is seen on these men. Most prominent is the felt pointed hat, worn particularly by the Saka Tigrakhauda, or Pointed-Hat Scythians, as they were known. The hat is held up by leather straps around the wearers head, keeping the soft point upright even in windy or wet conditions. For armament, they carry the infamous composite bow used by all Inner Asian nomads at this time. (The Hunnic asymmetric bow would not become popular for some hundred years yet). The bow is made of wood, sinew and bone, and glued together for extra strength. Especially in the steppes, where access to high quality wood was scarce, the use of bone in bows was extra important. Such was the strength of the recurve of the bow, that when unstrung, it would fold backwards in the shape of the letter C. On their thighs, they carry short akinakes, or daggers, which were useful for taking the scalp of a fallen foe, but unfit as a combat weapon for cavalry. Herodotos describes how Scythian warriors would make a triangular incision into a fallen enemy's head, and then take them by the hair and shake until the scalp came off. They would then clear away any residual flesh with a rib bone, and rub the scalp to soften it. It would then be carried as a trophy on the rider's saddle, clothes or weapon. In melee, they use the Sagaris axe, a pointy and slightly curved axe, useful against armoured enemies. The axes were often made of bronze, and more elaborate examples were often decorated with images of deer, lions or griffins. The Sagaris was carried in a special suspension hanging from the warrior's belt. Historically, the peoples who lived on the high steppe spent most of their waking hours in the saddle. However, professional warriors were rare among the steppe nomads, and only the wealthiest and most powerful men could devote their full time to warfare and training, and the majority of warriors in the nomad "hordes" described by ancient and medieval authors alike were simple herdsmen or hunters, who followed a charismatic leader on a campaign for gold and plunder. The social structure of the steppe nomad society was very clan based, and loyalties of individuals lay with one's family group or tribe, rather than on the supra-tribal level. Hence, the hordes would disperse as soon as the campaign or raid was over, and the men would go back to tent to their herds. There were, of course, some exceptions, most notably during the large movements of hordes following the expansion of the Hunnic empire under Modun and the expulsion of the Yuezhi from the Tarim basin, but these migrations were rarely organized on more than a nominal level, and in many cases, it would have primarily been the ruling classes that moved to new lands, while many of the herdsmen would just accept the overlordship of a new master. That is, as long as he could provide the gold and loot that was demanded to retain the loyalty of the otherwise very fractured tribes of the high steppes. In fact, the steppe hordes in many cases consisted of men from many different political and ethnical groups. The great hordes of history, from the Saka Rauka, via the Xiongnu and the Huns, to the latter day Mongols were political names, rather than ethnonyms. The hordes would progress much like an avalanche, sweeping away the political elite, but incorporating the majority of the populace. Externally, these hordes would then be seen as "Saka" or "Hun", but this would only properly describe the ruling clique, and the majority of the warriors in a horde would rarely identify with this group, and remain loyal only as long as they would get a share of the loot or land conquered. This was one contributing factor to why the nomads, although often militarily superior to the settled populations, were seldom able to form anything but fragile and short lived empires or confederations while still on the steppe. Usage The backbone of the Saka army. These horsemen should be used to fire their volleys against other light horse archers and foot archers using the cantabrian circle and tear apart infantry from their shieldless-flank or their rear. However, once pursued by fast medium cavalry, they should refrain from using their circle and shoot formation and retreat, while having auto-fire on will make them fire their volleys on the pursuing cavalry. Due to their non-existent armor and poor melee skills, they must be accompanied by stronger horse archers, medium cavalry or heavy cavalry as they will not win the battle by themselves once they have run out of ammo. In Europa Barbarorum 2, they are now armed with armor piercing axes, making them quite effective at melee against other horse archers weak either melee or armor and can be effective at supporting your heavy cavalry while engaged in melee combat with other enemy cavalry. Category:Units Category:Baktria Category:Pahlava Category:Sauromatae Category:Saka Category:Eleutheroi